Answer

Boris Johnson MP (Mayor of London): Thanks, Jenny. No, the reality is that the Night Tube will be a fantastic thing for the city and we want to get it in as soon as we reasonably can. We have been working on this, actually, since 2013. We believe there is an excellent offer on the table for our staff and for London Underground (LU) workers and that offer should be put to them as soon as possible.

Jenny Jones AM (on behalf of Darren Johnson AM): There are obviously going to be considerable changes to shift patterns and, for example, 12-hour shifts at night, which will have an impact on staff in terms of childcare, travel costs and tiredness, I would think. Presumably, you are going to go ahead with the unions and find some sort of fair system?

Boris Johnson MP (Mayor of London): Yes.

Jenny Jones AM: At the moment, it seems to be lacking.

Boris Johnson MP (Mayor of London): I do not think that is true. If you look at the deal that is on the table, it is very generous. There are extra payments both for station staff and for drivers. Nobody is required to work extra shifts or to work longer hours. It is a really very fair package. Most people in London, looking at it and considering what remuneration Tube staff and Tube drivers already get, would think it was a reasonable way to proceed.

Jenny Jones AM: My colleague Darren Johnson [AM] has also had constituents writing in saying that because they live close to the Tube lines, they are worried about 24-hour working and that sort of thing. Would you consider supplying insulation for certain flats that are very close to the lines?

Boris Johnson MP (Mayor of London): Yes. This is a very important issue that has been raised by several Assembly Members and it is something that we are obviously taking incredibly seriously. We have carried out noise assessments in areas where there have been historic complaints about noise and we are getting on fast with what mitigations we can before the service comes in. We are looking at carrying out grinding on the track or track renewals to minimise the noise as fast as possible.

The key thing is really for LU to be in touch with all of the - I know there are some in Marylebone - residents around the map who are concerned about this and we must allay those concerns as fast as possible.